


Tell me a secret

by redshineJasper (MrsPummeluff)



Series: Stucky OneShots [10]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, 5+1 Times, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Bucky Barnes, Asexual Character, Asexual Steve Rogers, Bartender Bucky Barnes, Demiromantic Steve Rogers, First Dates, M/M, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes, Sharon Carter is a bad friend, blind dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-02 02:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14535162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsPummeluff/pseuds/redshineJasper
Summary: 5 Times Steve went on a bad date and came to see Bucky afterwards and one time the date actually went quite well (maybe more than quite)----Steve starts frequenting the Bar 'The Howling Commandos' after dates that went wrong. He befriends the bartender Bucky and maybe he gets to know him good enough to develop feelings for him.





	Tell me a secret

I.

Steve climbs from his bike and locks down his helmet. He had spent the last three hours in a fancy restaurant with on a blind date and had tried to dodge every single of his advances. Now, finally gotten away from the disaster that had been this blind date, he found himself in front of a bar he had visited frequently a few years back. The big neon-sign of his once favorite bar had been light up and seeing as this evening already being a nightmare, it could only get better.

He entered the bar, lights low and the style inside held like a bar in the 30’s or 40’s. Simple, small. Homey.

The bar was mostly empty, only a few patrons scattered through the room, sitting in corners by themselves. Two were playing pool at one of the old school tables. Steve sat down at the bar and the barkeeper came over, smiling at him.

 “Can I get you something?” his voice was smooth and warm and it made Steve want to smile.

“Any recommendations for after a date gone bad?” Steve asks and the man studies him for a moment.

“Vodka or Tequila and did you drive yourself or do you have a driver?”

Steve huffs a laugh. “Tequila and I am here with my bike, but I can call a friend later if I need a ride and come back for my bike tomorrow.”

“Was the date with a man or a woman?” The Bartender raises a challenging eyebrow above nice blue eyes, greyish parts around the pupil making them look an interesting ice-y blue in the dim light. His hair was short, brownish and slicked back a bit.

Steve smiles broader. “Man.”

“Last question, now that this is answered. Gay or Bi.”

Steve stutters, looking at the counter. “Technically… I think it’d be pan… but more… dunno… pan…”

He feels the Bartender, he should probably find out the man’s name at some point, looking at him and risks a little glance up, to see a bemused smile.

“Technically okay, but now I want to know the ‘but more’ part. C’mon. Tell me a secret.” He says smirking, putting some things into the shaker, pouring the tequila and some other liquids in and filling up with ice.

Steve shrugs at him.

“Lemme guess. The ‘but more’ part has to do with why it was a bad date.  Did he come on too strongly? Or just plain too ugly? Guy like you must have standards. Or maybe you’re just not interested in sex and he thought he could tap all… that.” He smiles cheekily and waves his hand towards Steve’s torso, then filling the drink into a glass.

It was of a rich red color and smelled… fruity.

Steve’s blush maybe was as red as the drink.

“Uhmm… That and… Demiromantic. I’m a demiromantic asexual. My friend… they don’t get it. That I don’t want to go on blind dates, I mean.”

The bartender frowns a bit and nods.

“Don’t I know it. Tell you what. I am ace. But my friends? No. _Go out with us Bucky._ Or _You need to get laid, bro._ But don’t worry about them. You got people on your side. And now enjoy the sweet kiss of the Black Widow.” He winked and turned to the other side of the bar. “I need to go and serve this asshole over there. Don’t go anywhere.”

And with that the bartender, Bucky, his name was Bucky, disappears to the other side of the bar, talking to some blonde guy with a few colorful band-aids on his face. Steve sipped his drink and smiled into the glass. Yeah. It was a good drink.

And the atmosphere was nice.

The people, he thought while glancing towards Bucky who was animatedly talking to the guy with the band-aid’s, were okay. Maybe more than just that.

* * *

 

II.

The guy smiled at Steve and he responded with a very uncomfortable grin. He wanted to get away. Why did he still let Sharon talk him into these blind dates?

Again the man’s leg bumps against his “accidentally” and Steve finally has had enough. He is glad the bar is quite full since that would extend his chances for an escape, but he couldn’t help but wish to be in another bar. A bit less modern, a bit more familiar. A bit homier.

He could see Sam on the other side of the room, his arm around his wife. After just leaving his last blind date, at least according to the guy, one of Sharon’s coworkers, they decided they had to keep an eye on Steve to make sure he wouldn’t stand up his date. Sharon had insisted on giving him a ride that he could ‘properly enjoy himself’ so he also had left his Harley at home. He surely had still enough money to make it to the bar in a cab even if it would take a bit longer than it would with his bike.

Steve stood up, keeping an eye on his friends and gestures towards the exit while he leans to the guy, whose name he still hadn’t caught no matter how often he asked, excused himself and said something about it not working out and being sorry but having to be up early tomorrow.

He pushes through the crowd and makes it to the doors. Keeping close to a bigger group, Steve manages to stay out of Sharon’s and Sam’s sight and finds himself on the street outside the bar.

Hailing down a cab he asks the driver if he knows the way to the “Howling Commandos” in Brooklyn. The driver just nods, navigating the car back into the traffic and a while later he pays the driver and enters the bar.

“Evening Steve.” Comes from a corner and Steve nods at the people in the booth, Gabe Jones and Jacques Dernier, the proud owners of the Bar.

Next to them, one of their old friends, Dum Dum, waves enthusiastically. “Steve, my boy. It’s good to see you. Barnes, I think your boy needs his Black Widow.”

Bucky comes out of the back of the bar and when he sees Steve, he smiles brightly.

“Hey, Steve. Black Widow, comin’ right up.”

Steve snorts, looking at the three older men, kind of impressed. “That obvious?”

“You are dressed to kill, boy and yet you are in here alone at this time. Did this one grope you?”

Steve sighs, shaking his head. It was only the second time he had come here after a bad date, but he had spent enough time here to be familiar and recognize most of the regulars. Mostly older men, some of them veterans, which explained the décor.

“Not yet, but close.”

At the same time, Bucky called out from behind the bar.

“Stevie. Black Widow is waiting.”

Steve gives the men a small salute, then goes to sit down at the bar.

“So. Was he groping you?” Bucky asks, grinning cheekily, having overheard parts of the conversation with the others.

“Not really groping, no.” Steve shakes his head. “But he was looking at me like he was about to eat me and made sure to always bump into me or something like he never heard about personal space.”

Bucky cringes.

“I hate these people.”

“You and me both.” Steve salutes with his drink, then knocks it down. “Knock down some shots with me?”

“You three, me three?” Steve nods and Bucky turns to the soldiers near the entrance, catching his boss’s attention.

“Gabe. Can I?” Gabe just waves his hand affirmative and Bucky grins. “Let’s do this.” And he fills them 6 shot glasses and makes sure to put in some colorful syrup and they have 6 rainbow colored shots in front of them. Steve starts with the red shots while Bucky takes violet.

“Tell me a secret.” Bucky muses and grins at Steve, who takes the blue shot from the other end of the line and Bucky takes orange. They knock the shots back and Steve smiles at the brunette.

“I’ve been too afraid to ask you to be my friend since the first night I met you and feel like back at the first day of elementary.”

Bucky barks out a laugh and smiles at Steve brightly. “You are scared Rogers, who’d have guessed.” He takes the last drink, green and Steve’s hand wraps around the yellow drink. “But tell you what. I’d like to be your friend.” They knock back their drinks and Steve grins at the brunette.

“Good. Otherwise, I really would have made a fool out of myself.”

* * *

 

III.

“Peggy?”

“Steve?”

“Did your cousin not pick up that we were a couple five years ago?”

Peggy shrugs. “She pays for dinner. Will you join me?”

He smiles at his friend and nods. “Yes please.”

They catch up on what they missed about each other’s lives in the past five years. Peggy speaks about how amazing her job at Scotland Yard was and how she was sent to America to be an official connection between CIA and Scotland Yard. When they part, Peggy kisses him on his cheek and smiles.

“Have a good evening Steve. I will call Sharon as soon as I get home.” She promises and shoos him away, waiting for her cab.

He finds himself in front of the Howling Commandos again. It was, compared to the last two blind dates, a fairly good one.

He sat down in front of the Bar and Bucky smiled at him, serving a young woman with fire red hair and motions that he’ll be right there. 

When Bucky came over he smiled.

“You got…” he gestures to the cheek Peggy had kissed earlier and Steve flushes. Bucky takes a paper towel from behind the bar and wets it a bit. He gets rid of the lipstick on Steve’s cheek and the blonde smiles gratefully. “A good date?”

“More or less. Sharon set me up with her cousin. A woman I dated for about 5 months before she moved to England to work for Scotland Yard. We split up but stayed friends. Apparently, Sharon never knew.” Steve says shrugging.

“She back in America?”

He nods. “Yeah. Moving to DC soon. Working with CIA for Scotland Yard.”

Bucky grins and then motions to his collection of liquors behind him. “Can I interest you in something?”

Steve gets a beer in the end after they do rainbow shots again. Then the red-haired woman steals him away. When she leaves, Steve grins at his friend.

“Tell me a secret,” Bucky says.

Steve leans closer.

“She was the first and only person I had sex with so far. I did it for her because she wanted and needed it. She was my friend and I was happy to do it for her. It felt good enough though I think it had a lot to do with who she was and what I felt for her so I don’t regret it. So I don’t think I would do it for everyone.”

“Only to be close? So they knew how much they had to mean to you, that you want to feel the other in a way you don’t want to feel anyone else?”

Steve nodded and looks up at Bucky who smiles at him bashfully.

“Yeah… like that.” He whispers and Bucky gives him a small smile. Steve takes one of Bucky’s hands, gives it a squeeze and gets up to leave for the night.

* * *

 

IV.

Steve stays in the restaurant until his date is 45 minutes late. He takes out his phone, angrily typing out a message towards Sharon. Then his phone vibrates.

(Bucky 06:45 pm) _Bar opens early today. Just letting you know._

He smiles apologetically at the maître’s when he retrieves his jacket and confirms with her that Sharon would receive the bill, when he gets an understanding smile and nod from her back.

 _Good._ He replies. _BD stood me up. On my way._

His phone vibrates with a reply when he was about to get onto his bike.

_Okay. Getting a Widow done for when you arrive. Warning: Friend celebrating his bday._

He gets onto his bike and makes his way to the bar. This was maybe the best part of his blind dates. In front of the bar, everything was full of cars and Steve steers his bike towards the alley where Gabe had told him to park in the small parking lot that belonged to his apartment right next to the building where the bar was in. He gets off the bike when Dernier leaves the apartment, waving at Steve.

“Knew I heard your bike rollin’ up. Had a blind date again?” They asked every time he came in. Mostly he denied with a laugh or shrugged it off. Today he smiles and shakes his head.

“It’s not really a date if they don’t even show up, right?”

Dernier frowns.

“Should get yourself a date one of these days Rogers. I recommend spending more time with _certain friends_.” He says smiling and puts an emphasis on the last part. “I know a guy who would really like to spend more time with you. And it’s not me.”

Steve shrugs, smiling as they round the corner and enter the bar. It is crowded, though the table in the corner where Dernier, Gabe, and their friends always meet is free, Steve’s usual seat at the far end of the bar is as well. When he looks for Bucky, the man is already pouring his Black Widow in a glass and moving towards Steve’s seat. He makes his way through the crowd, seeing the red-haired woman and the man with the band-aids, fewer this time, at a table with a big Cake, exclaiming ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARTON’ and a big 30 above.

Steve quietly sits in his seat and takes the drink from Bucky.

“I made sure they leave this seat free.” He wraps his hand around Steve’s wrist for a second. Steve gives a small smile.

“Thanks.” A call from the other side of the bar catches Bucky’s attention and he smiles at Steve and mouths a ‘later’ before continuing with his job. Someone clears their throat next to Steve and looking to the side he sees the red-haired woman.

“So. You are Steve…” she says smiling and leans against the bar next to Steve’s seat. He nods, raising one eyebrow. She holds out her hand and he shakes it but instead of letting go she pulls herself closer, mouth right next to his ear.

“He is practically like a brother to me. Hurt him and I’ll kill you.” Then she pulls back. “I am Natasha. Nice to meet you. It’s Clint’s birthday today. The guy with the band aid’s in his face.” She nods towards the blond guy he’d seen earlier already. He nods again, still trying to figure out what Natasha had been playing at when she disappeared into the crowd. He shakes his head. Weird people.

The hours pass by and Steve changes seats, sitting with the vets in the corner or mingling with other regulars until the guests of Clint’s birthday leave. Natasha and Clint are the last ones to go, she kissing Bucky on his cheek and Clint giving his friend a fist bump then leaving. Natasha smiles at Steve, who sat back down at the bar a few minutes earlier and disappears into the night. Finally finished with putting away the last glasses, Bucky comes over to Steve.

“Hard day at work?” Steve asks, grinning.

“You could say so. But I had good company even if the time to talk wasn’t really there,” Bucky says winking as he leans against the bar. Gabe heads out, calling out to Bucky to close up when he’s done with clean-up.

Steve smiles.

“Want some help?” he offers.

Looking around the room Bucky shrugs.

“Is not much but sure. I go get the broom.”

Cleaning up side by side, Steve and Bucky chat about the usual, enjoying the time of finally not having a counter separating them.

Both spend the time testing the limits by occasionally bumping into on another.

“So, Steve,” Bucky says, closing the door. “Tell me a secret.”

Steve takes a deep breath and they walk towards his bike.

“I’ve been thinking the past few days. About… stuff. Sharon has another date planned for me. In two days.” Bucky snorts. They both know it will be a failure. “After that, I will tell her no more. Gabe said I should get myself a date at some point. And he was right. After that I will.” He sits up on his bike and smiles at Bucky. “See you in two days?”

Bucky looks at him. A small, hopeful smile on his lips.

“See you in two days, pal.”

* * *

 

V.

“STEVE! Stop. Quit running away!” Sharon yells and Steve just gives her the finger over his shoulder, making his way down the street towards the Howling Commandos. “Steve! You behave like a grade A-Asshole! No wonder you can’t find a… STEVE COME BACK HERE I AM NOT DONE TALKING!” he hears her muffled through the door when it shuts after he barged inside the Howling Commandos, ignoring her to the best he can and he sees all heads turn towards him. Most of the people knew him already and so he didn’t care. They knew about his blind-date dilemma.

“Barnes just went out back for a minute,” Gabe says from behind the bar. “Wanted to take his break before you come in. We didn’t expect you here so soon.”

Steve shrugs and behind him the door opens.

“Steve. You should come back. Sharon is upset,” Sam says and Steve turns towards his friend, glaring.

“Yeah? Good. Because I am too.”

“Come on. She is right. You behave like an ass to everyone she wants to introduce you too.”

“I behave like an ass? Am I the one setting their friend up with people even though I’ve been told that they are Demi? I told you both time and time again that I am fine and happy the way I am and if I want to change something, it will me my choice.”

“Steve. That’s just bull—“

“Rogers! Get your ass back out here or I…” Sharon steps into the bar, fuming.

Steve just stands his ground and just turns around, walking towards the bar, ignoring his friends.

“Rogers.”

“Don’t ‘Rogers’ me, Carter.” He says, voice even. Neutral.

“I’ll get a beer from the back for you,” Gabe says and disappears into the back towards back-entrance.

“Sharon. Come on. Not in here.” Sam sounds embarrassed at her yelling in front of everyone in here and Steve grins. That’s how he felt every time Sharon had set him up.

“Don’t you dare defend him, Sam. He just embarrassed me in front of half of my colleagues and my fucking boss.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t set me up, especially with your fucking boss.” He says voice still even but full of venom, glance towards the counter. He feels Bucky’s presence and hears glasses and liquid. A few seconds later a cocktail appears in his line of sight. He looks up, smiling at Bucky. Behind him, he hears Sam and Sharon fighting in hushed tones.

He turns his head to look at them but Bucky’s hand touches his, putting a stop to his movement. He looks up, straight into his soft blue eyes that are trying to keep his attention away from the fray and calm him down.

“Hey, Steve. Tell me a secret.” His voice is quiet and soft, as is his smile.

“I am not done with you, Steve. We will talk about this tomorrow. And you can see where you sleep tonight, Sam.”

That makes Steve whirl around, ripping his attention away from Bucky.

“Talking about that? What is ‘that’, Sharon? That you keep setting me up with people even though I tell you EVERY SINGLE TIME that I am not interested? That you’re so creepily fixated on getting me laid even though I DON’T WANT TO?” He gets louder and Jacques gives him an encouraging thumbs up and he sees encouraging smiles from other regulars, looking at Sharon.

“I don’t WANT to go on blind dates. NEVER wanted to. Not with people who just want a quick fuck or are interested in my body and not ME as a person. I am more than a piece of ass. Get that into your head. I was hoping that when you find out that Peggy and I knew each other and were dating years back finally put a stop to you trying but instead it got worse because it apparently made you think even more that I will put out. Do you think I am that desperateYour BOSS, Sharon? Thought you could get a raise if I put out for him?

“IF I want a date, I can get one for myself, I am a grown ass man who doesn’t have to be bullied into it, thank you very much. And yes. You were my friend, maybe one of the best. But I don’t want to hear from you until you respect my wishes, because I don’t need that behavior. I won’t be bullied again. Not from you, not from anyone.  And now get out!”

She looks at him, stunned. “I will not be treated like this. You made an ass out of me.” She says in a last attempt to stand her grounds and turns. “Come on Sam, we need to apologize to my boss for making a scene.”

“I’m not sure if really WE should…” he says uncertain, trailing off towards the end of the sentence.

She turns, shooting him a look, sharp like thousands of daggers. When Sam backs up a bit towards Steve, she stops her foot and suddenly resembles more a child then the successful woman she is and storms out, outraged.

Sam looks after her, contemplating if he should leave as well after his wife made a scene. He turns to look at Steve, who gives him a half-smile.

“Stay, let her think about what I just said to her. I am not really mad with you.”

Sam still looks stricken between the door and Steve. Then one of the regulars approaches Sam.

“T’Challa. Nice to meet you. Want to sit down?” He motions towards his booth and Sam nods stunned to be approached this nicely after what had just happened in here.

Steve sits down at the bar and letting his head fall onto the wooden counter next to his drink.

He feels Bucky’s finger card through his hair and it is enough to relieve some of the pain in his temples. Gentle fingers settle on his wrist.

“You okay?” Steve nods at Bucky’s question. “You did well. I was about to do that myself but you beat me to it.” Steve can hear the smile in Bucky’s voice.

He lifts his head and grins at Bucky.

“I think it was about time I tell her to her face what I want.” Bucky nods his head, musing before Steve continues. “So… about the secret… There is someone, I really like him. Got nice blue eyes. Became a great friend over the past few months.”

Bucky smiles and hums encouragingly, “Continue.”

“I’d like to… maybe take him out on a date. But don’t tell him that I got tickets for that baseball game he wanted to see next week.” Steve winked and Bucky grinned.

“Won’t tell him. But I’m sure he’d love that. Now drink your cocktail. I made that one just for you.”

Sam came up to the bar.

“Mojito?” he asked quietly and Bucky complies. Sam turned to Steve. “I’m sorry. For… behaving the way I did. You’re right. She went too far. Forgive me?”

“YOU I’ve forgiven. As I said. I am not mad with you. Never were.” He bumps into Sam’s shoulder and his friend smiled. “You’ve always been stupid when it came to the people you were in love with.”

“How did you even find this place? It’s… nothing spectacular but cozy. You come here often?”

“After every date that went wrong.” Steve laughs and Bucky huffs.

“Hope that won’t be the case anymore. Otherwise, I kick that guy’s ass,” he says smiling and Steve grins back.

“But he’s got a great ass.” They hear Dum Dum say and Steve turns around, looking at Dum Dum incredulously.

“Yeah. After the date, he will have a great ass as boyfriend. I‘m sure of that.” Bucky retorts which makes Steve turn back.

“HEY!” he exclaims and he hears huffs and chuckles from multiple people behind him. “Damn Peanut Gallery,” he mumbles, then looking down and smiling into his glass.

* * *

 

+I

“I’d root for them if they’d still play for Brooklyn.”

“Right! Damn traitors, that’s what they are.”

“And they could please serve better beer.”

“Please. Baseball is nothing without peanuts and cheap, bad beer.”

Bucky scowls.

“You need to come over to my place for Baseball soon. When you try the beer I have, you’ll never want anything else. Did you know I get it imported from Germany? It’s great beer.”

“Isn’t it expensive?” Steve raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah. But Gabe imports from everywhere in the world and always gets new stuff. And he orders beer for me every time, so it’s cheaper.”

Steve opens the door for Bucky and gets a smile in return. “Thanks.”

“Finally. The Lovebirds are here.”

Bucky flipped Gabe off and disappeared into the back. The whole pub was now staring at Steve.

“What? We had a great time.” He shrugs helplessly.

“So… no more upset visits after regretful dates?” Dum Dum asks and Steve shakes his head.

“I hope not.” He says jokingly, then his expression melts into something softer. “Not anymore, no.”

“Well then. If that’s the case. A beer on the house for everyone.” Gabe hollers and the bar responds soundly. Everyone gets up, patting Steve on the back before getting their beer from Gabe and Steve sits down in his usual spot.

“Why is Gabe giving out free beer?”

Steve smiles at Bucky, shrugging.

“Maybe ‘cause I just came back from a great date?”

“Yeah? Had fun? Was the guy any good?”

“The best.”

“So no Black Widow this time?”

“You know… I don’t think I need them anymore. Any other recommendations?”

“I have a few things in mind. But I’m feeling cheesy. Brooklyn comin’ right up.” And he adds some liquids into his mixer and presents Steve with a brownish cocktail. Steve grins.

“There you go. Tell me a secret?”

“I think I might fall in love with him. And we had only our first date.”

Bucky grins.

“I think he might fall too.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Great great thanks to my new amazing beta, who does an amazing Job, okay. [HERE](http://rachelladytietjens.tumblr.com/) is her tumblr  
> And here you can find me on [tumblr](http://fangirl-faye.tumblr.com) and talk to me :D


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